Written by

Chris Torres and Stephanie Loder

Cumberland County College student Josh Faulk helps out at the county's SPCA. / Staff photo/Craig Matthews

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MILLVILLE — Clarence Jenkins grasped the bowl of homemade chicken soup served to him by a member of the Cumberland County College basketball team on Thursday.

“It’s love,” said Jenkins, formerly of Bridgeton, who is now homeless.

Head men’s basketball coach Arthur Horn and 11 team members volunteered their time at the Bethel Development Center in Millville to feed lunch to the needy Thursday as part of their Martin Luther King Jr. service days.

The volunteers were some of more than 160 Cumberland County College students and staff who honored the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by serving the community at various service organizations throughout the county. Volunteers will perform service again today .

The Rev. Charles Wilkins, pastor at Bethel AME, watched as the college volunteers in aprons and gloves filled bowls, set silverware on tables and opened cans of juice.

“The need here is great,” Wilkins said.

Wilkins said the center at 113 S. 5th Street serves hot meals four days a week. He said they provide 3,700 meals a month and give away groceries to 600 families.

CCC Student and basketball player Kevin Croxton of Camden said he’s volunteered before with his church, Voice of Hope Deliverance Church. Each time, Croxton said, he learns something more about the people in need.

“I like hearing their life stories,” said Croxton, who is studying business management. He aspires to open a community center in Camden someday and maybe a homeless shelter for women and children.

He remembers a man he served food to in Camden who told him he used to be a star athlete before he was homeless.

“He said he put sports before school and that led him down a road he wished he hadn’t traveled,” Croxton said.

Volunteer Malcolm Parrish of Bridgeton said he didn’t serve meals, but learned a lesson from the people he met.

“You don’t see other people’s struggles until you do something like this. It makes me reflect on my own life,” Parrish said.

And Matt Lewis and Tyler Hillgrube, both of Vineland, said they didn’t expect to be helping out with meals when they signed up for basketball at the college.

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“It gives you a chance to get away from what’s going on in your own life and just give someone a meal and see how grateful they are for it,” Hillgrube said. “These people are so happy just to get a meal.”

Lewis said, “This is also something we can do for our community as a team.”

“I didn’t expect to be doing this, but I’m glad that I am,” Lewis said.

Horn said he hopes the players gained experience from the volunteer work that they could use in their lives.

“What I hope they get is that this is what you should do. You have to give in order to get,” Horn said.

In Vineland, student volunteers spent the afternoon at the Cumberland County SPCA. They walked dogs, brushed cats, and washed dishes and laundry.

Accustomed to being around dozens of animals daily on her family farm, Thursday was out of the ordinary for 20-year-old Savanna Bassett of Vineland.

Shaun Snead, 19, said he doesn’t own any pets, but has a fondness for animals.

“I like animals, and I think they like me, so I have an understanding with them,” said Snead, a Malaga native.

SPCA Adult Volunteer Coordinator Valerie Mazzei gave the students a tour of the facility before going to work. Mazzei said the best part about having extra volunteers is that it gives the animals more time to bond with humans.

“It’s crucial to the animals,” Mazzei said. “The normal volunteers are often busy, and they don’t have time to pet and spend time with the animals, which is critical.”

A kick-off breakfast for the student volunteers took place Thursday in the Luciano Conference Center, and featured keynote speakers Margaret Gilbride, executive director of New Jersey campus compact and Karen Barnett, director of Bridgeton Youth to Youth.

“Everyone can be great because anybody can serve. you don’t have to have a college degree to serve,” Gilbride told the participants, quoting Dr. King. “Everyone has the power of greatness.

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